When Dr. Jonathan saw Yuga looking at the cultivation chamber containing a Lapras, he thought Yuga intended to destroy it and shouted in terror, "You wicked child!"
Seeing Dr. Jonathan so nervous, Yuga became curious about what kind of Pokémon experiment he was conducting.
Dr. Jonathan, being a Pokémon researcher and not a trainer, only had a Floatzel with him. After Floatzel was defeated, Gengar quickly took control of him.
Dr. Jonathan, once captured, became extremely agitated. He feared that Yuga might destroy his lab, shouting loudly at Yuga. Yuga had Gengar knock him unconscious.
Afterward, Yuga began to examine the information Dr. Jonathan had left in the lab. Soon, he discovered the purpose of this laboratory.
The Pokémon trapped in those water tanks had been injected with a forbidden drug designed to enhance their abilities. However, they had only recently been injected, and the full effects of the drug had not yet taken hold.
As for the Pokémon confined in the cultivation chambers, they were part of a Pokémon experiment related to Kyogre.
Yuga wasn't sure if the Team Aqua had located Kyogre by now, but they seemed to have acquired a portion of Kyogre's genes. Using these genes as a template, they aimed to replicate some of Kyogre's abilities.
All the Water-type Pokémon in the cultivation chambers had been infused with a portion of Kyogre's genes.
However, Kyogre's genes were incredibly potent. Any Pokémon infused with its genes would experience rapid cellular degradation, leading to a quick death.
The Pokémon suffered immensely during this process.
Later, Dr. Jonathan developed a special cultivation solution that could slow down the rate of cellular degradation in these Pokémon. However, as soon as the Pokémon were removed from the solution, they would immediately die.
This was why, during the battle between Gengar and Floatzel, the Pokémon in the cultivation chambers died as their chambers were damaged.
The Lapras in the middle was the Pokémon with the highest genetic compatibility with Kyogre among all of Dr. Jonathan's experimental subjects. Its cellular degradation was also the slowest, which explained his nervousness earlier.
This particular Lapras was the key to Dr. Jonathan's experiments.
After briefly reviewing Dr. Jonathan's research data, Yuga turned his attention to a test tube containing blue liquid on the lab table.
This test tube was the same one Yuga had seen Dr. Jonathan holding when he first entered the lab, and it represented the final stage of Dr. Jonathan's experiment.
Perhaps this test tube could save the Lapras! Yuga thought.
So, Yuga opened the cultivation chamber containing the Lapras, intending to feed the liquid from the test tube to the Lapras.
The cultivation chambers were equipped with sedation mechanisms because the process of cellular invasion was incredibly painful. If the test subjects were kept conscious throughout the process, they would suffer from physical agony, potentially leading to a mental breakdown.
As Lapras woke up and saw Yuga, it became extremely wary, as it considered Yuga an ally of Dr. Jonathan, responsible for its current suffering.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here to save you. Look, those people are already down," Yuga reassured the Lapras and pointed at the unconscious Dr. Jonathan nearby.
Seeing the fainted Dr. Jonathan, the Lapras reluctantly began to believe Yuga.
"Here, drink this. It might make you feel better," Yuga said, offering the test tube to the Lapras's mouth.
Dr. Jonathan's research notes indicated that this liquid was meant for direct ingestion.
However, the research on this liquid appeared incomplete, and Yuga had to resort to this option as a last-ditch effort.
The Lapras hesitated for a moment, then opened its mouth and swallowed the liquid. It was in so much pain that it couldn't afford to think too much.
This particular Lapras looked different from the typical Lapras, not only being much larger but also having a slightly different coloration.
Compared to a typical Lapras, the blue skin on this Lapras's body was deeper, and its belly was not white but light blue. Its four fins were especially wide, resembling wings.
It's unclear whether this appearance was natural or influenced by the Kyogre genes inside.
After drinking the blue liquid, the Lapras's expression of pain became even more pronounced. It began rolling on the ground, showing that the blue liquid hadn't alleviated its suffering.
"What's happening? How are you, Lapras?"
Yuga became deeply concerned as he witnessed the Lapras's condition deteriorating rather than improving after drinking the blue liquid.
"System, do you know what's wrong with Lapras?"
With no other options, Yuga turned to his trusty system for guidance.
The system replied, [ That liquid was not complete. Unfortunately, it seems that instead of easing Lapras's cellular invasion, it's accelerating the process. If this continues, Lapras may not be able to endure. ]
The true purpose of this blue liquid was to fully activate the Kyogre genes within Lapras, intending to replace its original genes. This was why the cellular invasion on Lapras was worsening.
Anxious, Yuga asked; he initially wanted to help Lapras but ended up causing it more suffering.
[ You can try the Large Gene Restoration Potion. The source of Lapras's suffering is related to genetic issues, and this potion might help. However, I can't be certain. ]
The system suggested.
At this point, Lapras's genes were in chaos, with cells derived from Kyogre's genes rapidly multiplying while Lapras's cells were rapidly deteriorating. Whether the Large Gene Restoration Potion would work or not was uncertain, even for the system.
The Large Gene Restoration Potion was a very precious item. Yuga had only obtained five so far, used two, and had three remaining.
However, seeing Lapras's life force diminishing rapidly and knowing that his own recklessness played a significant role in this, Yuga couldn't bear to hesitate. He clenched his teeth and administered a dose of the Large Gene Restoration Potion into Lapras's mouth.
At this point, Lapras was too weak to even whimper, but it gazed at Yuga with large, determined eyes. The will to survive in its eyes touched Yuga deeply.
The Large Gene Restoration Potion acted very quickly, and Lapras's condition visibly improved.
[ Host, one dose of the potion might not be enough; Lapras's cells are still deteriorating. ]
Just when Yuga thought Lapras was safe, the system reminded him.
Yuga's face paled momentarily, then he gritted his teeth and administered another dose of the Large Gene Restoration Potion to Lapras.
Having already used one dose, if this didn't work, it would mean he had wasted the previous one!